SquareMeal Review of Pizza East Shoreditch

Bronze Award

Always jam-packed, the brilliant Shoreditch branch of the Pizza East mini chain continues to deliver the goods. Funky, ‘attentive’ staff whizz round the outsized, wood-heavy dining room, delivering fine pizzas with full-flavoured toppings such as San Daniele ham with mozzarella, porcini and pecorino or guanciale (pork cheek) with burrata and cipollini onions, while pizza-phobes can seek solace in big boards of charcuterie, osso bucco or sea bass with borlotti beans and peppers. Starters are a step up from your typical pizza joint, too, whether it’s a plate of fritto misto or a bowl of chicken livers on polenta with a spicy calabrese sauce. The Italian-leaning wine list does the job, with plenty of choice under £30. Afterwards, head downstairs to the aptly named Concrete bar for thumping beats – and even a spot of ‘musical bingo’.

Reviews of Pizza East Shoreditch

Unique pizzas in a funky warehouse style room. The non pizza dishes are even better.

Laurie M

Pizza is great, service is average

26 July 2016

I love Pizza East, I probably go here at least twice a month. As long as you are not expecting exceptional service it is lovely. Food is always great and on a Monday it's a bargain!

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Claudia

13 June 2016

Pizza is great. Staff is Italian. No faults found.

Eola B

This place is the PE

03 March 2016

I have missed going to PE and boy did it not let me down. It was my husband's bday and this is his favourite place. Nickname PE (as I am from a town called Port Elizabeth - PE). For a Monday night this place was packed. Recommend booking at all times. The food - is amazing, with a small menu which is great but the choice is OMG. Starters choose the cheese/ham board the burrata cheese was out of this world, we ordered the famous meatballs, still as good as the first time we had them. Mains you can definitely share these, we had the butternut pizza with Mac & Cheese. Service was very good as always, with it being as busy as it is, they ensure they don't forget you. Due to it being busy we decided to have our coffees at home and birthday cake. Highly recommend, it's no pricier than most places these days. Group of friends, perfect, order various items of the menu and just share them, unless you don't like sharing. If not been before go. PE is my fav restaurant.

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Charlotte H

Amazing pizza

27 January 2016

We had our Christmas lunch at Pizza East in December and was so good I decided to return in January. The food is amazing and the staff are very attentive. Will definitely return and would recommend.

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Ellen F

09 April 2014

The first time I went to Pizza East I hated it. Only a revoltingly hip Shoreditch restaurant would describe itself as having “a progressive approach to pizza” and only the most nauseating of beatniks would swallow it, metaphorically and literally. After a distinctly forgettable non-pizza based main instead, I had avoided this place, and indeed all of East London, pretty much since that visit. Then I was drawn back a few weeks ago to meet a small group of ex-colleagues and I couldn't say No to the suggested venue as no doubt they were desperate to escape the City and Pizza East is within reach, pocket friendly, a known quantity and had a menu unlikely to cause offence (to most, myself excepted it seemed). I now have to eat my previous words (although for sense I will obviously leave them typed out). I threw caution to the wind and had a pizza because I was tempted by the San Daniele which has my all time favourite pizza topping, ricotta, and pesto. And it was yum. I am not sure what was “progressive” about the pizza as it seemed to follow the traditional formula to me: crispy thin base with slightly puffed edge, and lightly but fairly sprinkled toppings with top marks for the creamy cheese. The other pizza options might have been progressive with a few quirky ingredients like veal meatballs and, most unusual of all, a total absence of names like Diavolo and Quattro Qumquats. Service was friendly, if somewhat ubiquitously and overtly moustachioed. And apart from the fact that it was a hot sunny day and I was slowly roasting by the window (a silk dress is not a good option in this situation), the atmosphere was surprisingly laid back pleasant and not studied laid back modish. I am lifting my embargo on the area.

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12 February 2013

Lets just get this straight- if you want fine dining, white table cloths and wine refilled after every sip, then Pizza East would not be your first port of call. If however you want laid back, buzzy atmosphere with good pizza and wine (out of tumblers- when did this start happening? What's wrong with a good old wine glass I ask!) and somewhere you can chat to your friends without the nosy neighbor listening in on this weeks juicy gossip, then Pizza East should be.
No frills, good pizza- Go oooooon, try it!

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Tara K

06 November 2012

Most unpleasant and stressful birthday experience
Most horrific restaurant experience I have ever had!! I booked a table for my friend’s birthday and initially I only booked for 8 people. 3 extra people came and 2 of them left as management said they were not allowed to be seated at our table as I only booked for 8! The other extra person was only staying for a drink and had spent £40 on a bottle of Champagne and wine when management said we were NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE ANY FOOD ORDERS AS THE BOOKING WAS FOR 8 PEOPLE!! I have never heard of anything more outrageous! I have never been to a place where they are unwilling to accommodate for 1 extra person. Where has customer service gone! To top everything off we wanted to order more food as we were still hungry and waiter said yes, then 10 minutes later came over and told us we had to leave the table at 9pm with it was 8:57pm. We hadn't even cut the cake!!I will never return to such a place!

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Caped C

09 October 2011

Occupying the site of a former legendary Shoreditch venue known as the TBar, this restaurant is an interesting mixed bag of a proposition. to be frank the service was substandard. Not one detail was executed to the letter, on point or promptly. This became a huge matter of frustration as several times a bottle of wine or drinks were brought to the table and the waiter didnt bring enough glasses, pour glasses for everyone and just sloped off without completing the tables drinks orders.
The food? Pretty ok pizzas with interesting fresh ingredients but to be frank the execution was no better than Pizza Express.
The venue was super hot and stuffy. I couldnt wait to pay the bill and get the hell out of there to get some fresh air. I probably wont make a return journey back to this venue as there are too many superior places to eat in this neck of the woods. Keep up this level of service and you wont have any customers left…

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Morgan D

20 July 2011

I went to Pizza East with high expectations following some good reports from friends – i have to be honest, I was disappointed. I ordered a pizza that was supposed to have spicy sausage on top – the sausage that i did get wasn't even remotely spicy and the pizza overall was pretty bland. I seem to recall that the wine I had was nice. I didn't think much of the service either, i felt the staff were more interested in something else than in actually serving people. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I can't honestly see what the fuss is about. Dare I say i've had a better pizza in Pizza Express?!